Updated vote totals provided by Oktibbeha County election officials Friday show C. Martin Haug, Marvell Howard and Bricklee Miller will hold their narrow leads following absentee and affidavit processing.
The three candidates posted slim margins after Tuesday’s general election, and additional ballots counted this week will not change the outcomes of the entire field.
Miller, District 4’s incoming Republican supervisor, pulled off the closest victory. The new total provided by county officials — 1,595 to 1,549 — show she beat incumbent Daniel Jackson, a Democrat, by 46 votes.
Absentee and affidavit votes expanded her five vote lead from Tuesday’s machine tallies.
The Dennis Daniels-Howard race finished with a 47 vote margin for the incumbent Democrat. Howard held a 970-923 vote lead Friday, according to information provided by officials.
His Tuesday lead — 51 votes — shrank by four once additional ballots were tallied.
Like Miller, Haug, a Democrat, finished stronger with absentees and affidavits tallied after Tuesday’s machine vote.
He expanded his 258 vote lead to 299, beating second-place Buddy Johnston, a Republican 1,416-1,117.
Hardy Mitchell, an independent also running for the District 3 post, had 461 votes.
Friday’s totals are uncertified and unofficial. Officials have 10 days following Tuesday’s election to certify the results.
Other district and county-wide races were called Tuesday because of their large margins. Incumbents fared well at the polls as Sheriff Steve Gladney, Circuit Clerk Glenn Hamilton, Coroner Michael Hunt, District 3 Constable James Lindsey, District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery, Tax Assessor Allen Morgan and District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer easily staved off election challenges.
Incoming District 2 Justice Court Judge Larnzy Carpenter defeated incumbent W. Bernard Crump in August’s Democratic Primary and was unopposed in the general election.
About 45 percent of registered Clay, Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Noxubee voters participated in Tuesday’s election. Locally, about 42 percent of Oktibbeha’s registered voters cast ballots.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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